Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

A lgernon looked up, startled by the man's sudden entrance. "Your Grace! I was not expecting you so soon."

The man's expression remained indifferent, as though he was barely interested in the current situation.

"I calculated your daughter's arrival in the aftermath of our first meeting. I wanted to ensure I would meet my bride-to-be as soon as possible and reassure myself that you would honor our agreement."

Though the man's answer was intended for the Earl, his intense gaze was on Juliet.

Lord Campton rose and moved toward the Duke, bowing when he arrived within a foot of him. "Well, I am pleased to have you in my home, Your Grace. Juliet, this is His Grace, Hector Allen, the Duke of Islington. He is your betrothed."

Her father's tone sounded rather odd, as though he was trying very hard to make the very existence of the Duke seem appealing to her. Even the Countess had lost her usual haughty air and glanced between her husband and the Duke with uncertainty.

Juliet's heart skipped a beat as she fixed her gaze on their guest, her eyes locking with the Duke's. The tall, dark-haired man standing before her exuded confidence and authority.

She forced herself to stand up and curtsied. "Your Grace."

The Duke's gaze softened momentarily. "Lady Juliet, I trust your journey back to London went well."

"It was a rather long drive," Juliet admitted in a somewhat forced but steady voice, "But I am here now."

His eyes flickered with amusement as he replied, "I see."

Juliet did not know why, but his voice caused a rush of heat to color her cheeks. She lowered her gaze briefly before glancing up to meet his eyes again.

A thought suddenly occurred to her, like a puzzle piece sliding into place.

Islington?

If he was the Duke of Islington, that made him Lydia's brother.

Sweet Lydia , she mused.

She had heard quite a bit about him from her dear friend, mostly about his generous and caring nature, but she had never divulged to Lydia that rumors about the Duke's promiscuous nature that had briefly circulated throughout the Abbey.

She'd often wondered how such a man could be related so closely to one of the kindest souls that had ever existed.

Clearing her throat slightly, she spoke softly, hoping her tone carried her intended remorse. "I am sorry for your loss. Lydia was my very dear friend, and I miss her profoundly."

The Duke's face tightened slightly, but he nodded. "You remember her."

"I could never in my life forget her," Juliet said softly.

Lydia had been her only friend before her father had whisked her off to the convent. Even after the event, she had stayed in touch; each month, Juliet would wait by the Abbey's gate for her letter. Her family had forgotten her, but Lydia had not.

"She was kind to me and was always full of life and love."

"She was," replied the Duke solemnly.

They stared at each other for a while, lost in their own thoughts. It was odd how the loss of someone they both held dear connected them in a way that transcended the circumstances surrounding their meeting.

Juliet felt a strange pull towards him and looked away, stifling the notion.

Her father cleared his throat, breaking the moment. "Well, shall we sit? We have much to discuss."

The Countess, who had been standing by quietly, gestured towards the seating area. "Yes, please, let us make ourselves comfortable."

The Duke remained standing, his gaze fixed on Juliet. "There is no need for pleasantries. I came here to state the terms of our marriage, and after that, I will take my leave. The wedding will take place in two days as we had discussed."

Juliet's eyes widened in shock at the news. Not only were they springing an unwanted marriage on her, but she was also to be dispatched with haste.

"Two days? But that is too soon!"

The Duke stepped closer, his gaze as sharp as daggers. "I have already made the arrangements. I will not suffer humiliation by any retaliation you might choose to mount. You belong to me now whether you like it or not."

Juliet's anger flared, but she swallowed her intended retort, knowing it was futile. Instead, she tried to appeal to him gently.

"Still, two days is too…"

"Juliet, enough. His Grace has already made up his mind. He was kind enough to arrange your wedding in our stead. We should not act ungrateful in the face of his generosity," Lord Campton scolded.

The whole charade felt like a ridiculous play. Surely, they had to understand that she was incredibly surprised about how rapidly the situation was progressing.

"That is not my intention, father, I merely wish to…"

"Do not waste your time voicing pointless notions. The deed has already been done, and nothing you say will change its outcome," the Duke said evenly.

Embarrassed and upset, Juliet rose to her full height and returned her gaze to the Duke, her fists gripping the fabric of her dress.

"I do not understand how such a match came about, Your Grace, but I already know that I am not suited to fulfil such a role. I would have expected someone of your status to know better than to let himself be used for the benefit of others as I cannot fathom what you might gain from this arrangement. I do not care if that is how you wish to spend your life… as a pawn… but I would prefer not to be involved in your games."

"You have quite a mouth on you, My Lady ," the Duke stated icily as he glared down at her. "Possibly because the current state of your nunnery has left all of its inhabitants without proper guidance or authority. That might have gone well for you there, but here, you will respect me and my word."

The Duke paused, as if he were waiting for her to dig herself into further trouble. When she merely stared at him, he nodded with a satisfied smile. "Good. I will now take my leave. We will see each other again soon enough."

Without another word, he turned and strode out of the room, leaving Juliet fuming in the wake of his visit.

Lord Campton reached out, but Juliet pulled away. Her emotions were a jumbled mix of anger, fear, and a profound irritation for the man who had just claimed her as his own.

The reality of being married off like some commodity to solve her father's financial woes was nearly too much to bear.

"This is utterly unfair," she said, her voice trembling. "You abandoned me for years, and now, you have no qualms pawning me off to the highest bidder."

Lord Campton looked away, unable to meet her eyes. "It's the only way to save our family, Juliet."

"I see. You only regard me as family when I can do something that will allow you to be the beneficiary."

Without another word, she stormed out of the room, pulled up the skirts of her gown, raced outside, and observed the Duke climb into his carriage.

"Your Grace," Juliet yelled, unbothered by her lack of ladylike manners. When he stopped and turned in her direction, Juliet hurried towards him. "I'd like a quick word, please."

A frown settled on the Duke of Islington's face. "Is this still about the marriage? It is happening, Lady Juliet. The quicker you get used to it, the better it will be for all of us."

"But…" Juliet swallowed hard. "I didn't ask for this. I was just taken from the nunnery, and…surely, you do not want a wife that the whole of London will disapprove of?"

The Duke moved closer to her, his eyes firmly locked onto hers.

Juliet found herself rooted to the spot in which she was standing, unable to do much more than watch him loom over her. His gaze was dark and heavy and set her nerves alight with each breath she took. Her heartbeat had become erratic as he leaned closer to her.

"You would do well to remember one thing about me," he whispered in her ear. "I have never, nor will I ever, let the thoughts and opinions of others dictate my actions. I do not care what all of London thinks."

He was so close that his breath fanned her neck. If she had leaned forward just a little, their cheeks would have touched.

The very thought of that sent another wave of heat to Juliet's cheeks, and she quickly retreated to some distance between them.

"But you can't do this to me. I had a life before this. I had friends and sisters I cared for deeply until you decided to take me away from the only place that I've ever belonged even though I have said countless times that I have no desire to marry," Juliet argued.

"Then we already have one thing in common." He stepped back from her.

"What?" she stared at him, confused. "Then why are you so insistent on marrying me?"

"Stop questioning what has already been set in stone," he fired back, obviously fed up with her antics.

Juliet huffed, hating how both this man and her father thought she was nothing more than a child they could drag in whatever direction they pleased.

"I apologize if you feel inconvenienced, but I am not prepared to hand over my future to a man I have only just met."

The Duke stared at her, seemingly surprised at her remark. Just as Juliet had begun to derive some satisfaction from his expression, it darkened.

"There is nothing you can do, Lady Juliet. We will be wed, and that is all you need to know about the matter. I will see you at the altar, wife ," he said with a deliberate drawl.

Juliet scoffed as he settled in his carriage, and the coachman drove off. She glared at the gathering dust as the horses galloped away then rushed back inside.

Once in her room, Juliet began to pace about, her heart filled with rage, frustration, and helplessness. It was almost laughable how her father controlled her life to suit his needs however he liked while ignoring the fact that she was his daughter and deserved to be treated as such.

Just like all those years ago when he had deposited her in the nunnery, there was no getting out of this.

This is not fair. This cannot be what my life is meant to amount to.

Yet she could see no other outcome, nothing more that she could do to prove that she was more than a financial asset to be traded in a business agreement.

To her dear friend's brother, no less.

She had heard so many things about him, but Lydia's view of him diametrically opposed that of the Ton. Juliet was confused and did not know what to expect. She resented his dismissal of her concerns and was especially bitter over how he'd ignored her when she'd raised matters that did not align with his intentions.

She had been especially disconcerted when they'd stood so close to each other. It had caused something in Juliet to lurch in a manner that was alien to her. It wasn't exactly discomfort, but it had left her with an odd itch she did not know how to scratch. All the more confusing, thinking of her husband to be did not make her as angry as she thought she should feel.

After having paced for what felt like an eternity, Juliet finally lay down on the bed, exhausted from the day's events. Despite her anger, she yawned deeply as sleep slowly washed everything away.

"I trust the meeting went well, Your Grace?"

Hector shrugged off his coat and handed it over to his butler, John, deliberating over what words he could use to accurately describe what had transpired during the previous half hour.

Because well was not the word he could apply.

"It was certainly interesting," the Duke stated eventually.

"Is that a good thing, Your Grace?" John questioned, looking confused.

Hector hesitated. "It was unexpected. I had imagined that a friend of my sister would have mirrored her in character, not to mention that she had been living in a nunnery for the better part of a decade, but the woman I met today…"

He thought of her defiant stare, bold words, and her flushed cheeks when he had been in close proximity to her.

Lady Juliet might not have been what he'd expected, but she was certainly fascinating to watch. If she had been anyone else, he might have succumbed to his sudden urge to do much more than exchange pointless sentences with her.

Hector felt as though her reaction to him might have urged him to rethink his plan to keep his promise to Lydia, but for some reason, he was still set on seeing it through.

"It does not matter what happened," he stated confidently to John, more for his benefit than the butler's, "because in two days, she will become my Duchess. And then, neither of our pasts shall matter."

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